The Asian region is an area of immense richness and diversity, spanning more than three time zones and many nations that are multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual. The scholars tell us that man may have lived here as early as half a million years ago, at a time when much of the world lay covered with ice and today's islands were still connected by land bridges.Several centuries of human migration, the influence of the great religions and civilizations of the East, the coming of western rule followed by independence, have resulted in a region made up of countries that are diverse in character -- in terms of the size and heterogeneity of their populations, the many religions practiced, the number of languages used and the historical circumstances experienced by each of them.
Exploring this myriad of cultures can be a fascinating adventure of the vast richness of life in Asia. Asians speak thousands of languages. Colonial languages have persisted in the region: French is still spoken in the mainland Southeast Asia but is losing ground. Many Indonesians still speak Dutch. Spanish is no longer spoken in the Philippines but a large Spanish vocabulary has been embedded in the various Philippine languages. Portuguese is still spoken in East Timor. English is fast gaining popularity all over Asia.
Economically, Asia belongs to the developing world, even if some of the countries within it have been hailed as among the most dynamic economies in the world today.
Asia is a major exporter of textiles, garments, electronics, sugar and tropical fruits. A major source of the world's timber supply, it boasts some of the few remaining tropical forests, the lungs of the world. The immense combined marine territories of the countries already rich with catch fishery and other marine resources, are being diligently explored for petroleum and natural gas deposits. Its population of about 500 million constitutes a huge market with a steadily increasing purchasing power. One of every ten persons in the world today is of Asian or Southeast Asian descent.
Southeast Asia is the bridge between the Indian and Pacific Oceans and controls vital sea-lanes that give China, Japan and the US Pacific Coast access to the Middle East and the eastern coasts of Africa.
The Cultural Mix
Not surprisingly, many communities in Asia historically were organized around the cycle of rice cultivation. Rituals, arts, the shapes of houses and communal structures were designed to celebrate the life-giving qualities of rice. Marriages, migrations, homecomings and rites of passage were timed to the planting, harvesting, transport, storage and consumption of rice.The peoples who came in contact with Asians brought cultural influences. However, underneath all the layers of religious and cultural influences, a common Asian culture survives to this day, unobtrusive but real.
Today the signs of the encroachments of Western pop culture may seem pervasive as they are all over the world. But what looks like cultural imperialism is really an interpretation that enriches both sides. A popular brand of hamburger may retain its American packaging, but its taste has been altered to suit the local passion for spices. A teenager may wear blue jeans, but she tops it with a sarong or kebaya.
The ’Asianization' of America
As recent books and newspaper and magazines articles have pointed out, elements of Asian culture seem are becoming more and more mainstream every day. For example, McDonalds’ Happy Meals now come with Hello Kitty toys, Levi’s uses karaoke to sell jeans, Budweiser modifies its ’’Whasssuuup?!’’ campaign into ’’Wasssaaabi!,’’ a Mountain Dew commercial does a spoof of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and of course, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon itself wins four Oscars and becomes the highest-grossing foreign film ever in the U.S.Further, feng shui is increasingly being used in planning new buildings everywhere and even for weddings. Zen Buddhism is still considered chic and cool. Acupuncture is now covered by most health insurance plans. The high-performance compact car subculture popularized by young Asian Americans in southern California, otherwise known as the ’’import scene,’’ has led to the release of the big-budget and heavily-promoted movie The Fast and the Furious.
Multimedia creations from or inspired by Asia are the latest rage among kids -- Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, Digimon, Dragon Ball Z, Nintendo, Sega, Playstation, and Final Fantasy video games, to name just a few. This cross-pollination of cultures seems only natural in an increasingly interconnected world.